Package theft a growing problem in Houston during holidays

1of3This image taken from video shows an Amazon package containing a GPS tracker on the porch of a Jersey City, N.J. residence after its delivery Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. The explosion in online shopping has led to porch pirates and stoop surfers swiping holiday packages from unsuspecting residents. The cops in one New Jersey city are trying to catch the thieves with some trickery of their own. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted)Photo: Robert Bumsted, STF / Associated Press

2of3This May 3, 2018, photo shows boxes on a conveyor belt during a tour of the Amazon fulfillment center in Aurora, Colo. The explosion in online shopping has led to porch pirates and stoop surfers swiping holiday packages from unsuspecting residents. The cops in one New Jersey city are trying to catch the thieves with some trickery of their own. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)Photo: David Zalubowski, STF / Associated Press

3of3Baltimore resident Rosemarie Dumhart uses a decoy package, marked with an X, to discourage the so-called "porch pirates" operating in the Canton area of Baltimore, Maryland, on December 17, 2018. - The thieves are filmed by a camera located above the door. (Photo by Sébastien DUVAL / AFP)SEBASTIEN DUVAL/AFP/Getty ImagesPhoto: SEBASTIEN DUVAL, Contributor / AFP/Getty Images

Alaina Sampson was working when she got a notification on her phone, saying her package had arrived at her west Houston home.

The 29-year-old saleswoman had ordered a $40 electric blanket on sale from Kohls.com, a Christmas gift for her mother who lives in a drafty home in Louisiana. A few hours later, Sampson got another notification from her video doorbell. She pulled up the live video feed, and saw a man running to his car with her package in tow.

“It really upset me that he had the audacity to come into my driveway to steal my package,” Sampson said. “I was at work, so I couldn’t do anything about it. It was just frustrating to work hard to have a nice Christmas and people are stealing your stuff.”

Package thefts have become a growing problem across the country, Texas and Houston as more people shop online. Nearly 26 million Americans have had a holiday package stolen, according to a study by InsuranceQuotes, an Austin-based online insurance marketplace.

Package Theft Rising in Houston

2015 - 193 package thefts

2016 - 269

2017 - 347

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In Houston, police say, package thefts have increased by 80 percent since 2015, when the Houston Police started tracking the crime. SafeWise, a home security company research firm, estimates that nearly 20 out of every 1,000 Houston residents have had packages stolen and ranks the city No. 7 in the nation for package theft.

Houston was the largest city on SafeWise’s national list, which was dominated by Texas cities including No. 1 Austin and No. 8 Dallas.

The problem, of course, is exacerbated during the holidays, the busiest shopping season of the year. Americans spent a record $110.6 billion online between Nov. 1 and Dec. 19, an increase of 17.8 percent from last year, according to Adobe Analytics, a research firm tracking online shopping

Package theft is difficult to solve -- even with the proliferation of security cameras and video doorbells -- because it’s a crime of opportunity, said Sgt. Eugenio Gonzalez with Houston Police’s burglary and theft division While there are some groups of so-called porch pirates roaming around snatching packages, many are first-time criminals.

“It’s easy pickings,” said Gonzalez.

But police retailers, couriers and some consumers are still fighting back against porch pirates. In California, New Jersey and New Mexico, police have partnered with Amazon to catch thieves through video surveillance nd GPS-enabled bait packages.

Amazon, the nation’s largest e-commerce retailer, has several options to curb package thefts. Amazon Key allows in-home delivery of packages. Customers must have a special smart door lock, which gives delivery personnel brief access to customer’s front foyer. Consumers can watch the delivery in real time through a video camera.

The Seattle e-commerce giant also allows in-car delivery for limited Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Volvo vehicles. Amazon works with car manufacturers to electronically unlock cars and leave packages in the trunk.

Amazon and other retailers such as Home Depot also allow packages to be delivered to special electronic lockers. Consumers use a pass code to open the locker. Amazon has more than 2,800 lockers in more than 70 cities nationally.

Package Concierge, a Massachusetts automated package locker manufacturer, operates 38 package lockers in Houston apartment complexes, giving 17,000 residents a secure way to get their online orders. The average apartment complex receives 53 packages a day during the year, but doubles to 110 packages a day in the two weeks before Christmas.

Couriers, including the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx, allow packages to be held at secure locations for pickup.

Some consumers are taking matters into their own hands by setting out decoy packages. Recently, a former NASA engineer rigged a package that sprayed glitter and a fart-smell cologne on porch pirates when they opened it — and filmed their reactions. The resulting video went viral on YouTube, with more than 42 million views.

Houston police don’t recommend people set out bait packages to try to catch package thieves. Instead, they encourage residents to call and report thefts and have officers investigate.

Residents should schedule deliveries when someone is home, or have it delivered to people’s workplace or a neighbor’s house, police said. The department also encourages installing video cameras, buying shipping insurance and using package lockers.

“I never tell anyone to take the law into their own hands,” Gonzalez said. “I myself will be getting a Ring video doorbell for my family.”

Sampson, whose package was stolen off her porch in early December, said she was able to get a refund from Kohl’s, but couldn’t order another electric blanket because the model was sold out. She is now rethinking what to get her mom for Christmas.

As a result of the porch theft, Sampson avoided online purchases during the holiday season. Sampson, a frequent online shopper and Amazon Prime member, said she will resume buying online after the holidays, but will have orders delivered to her workplace.

“I’m cautious now,” Sampson said. “I’ll always be worried this time year if I order something online. I don’t want to have anything stolen.”